05.06.09
Steve (Jobs): Developers, Developers, Developers… Get the Hell Out
Dogs and some developers not allowed in the Apple store
Summary: Apple and Microsoft come to show why GNU/Linux is the platform for any developer to target
IT’S NOT SO often that we write critically about Apple, but for developers who think that they would rather serve Apple and Mac OS X than serve GNU/Linux and BSDs, here’s food for thought from yesterday’s news:
• Apple’s Arbitrary Rejects Hit Nine Inch Nails App
We’ve covered plenty of examples of Apple’s rather arbitrary decision/approval process for putting apps in the iPhone App Store — demonstrating a huge opportunity for other phone providers to be more open and less ridiculous. We’ve also talked plenty about Trent Reznor and how Nine Inch Nails is doing all sorts of unique things to connect with fans — including a fantastically well thought out iPhone app that got lots of well-deserved attention.
• Apple bans Page 3 from iPhone app
An iPhone newspaper browsing application that saw The Sun banned by Apple because of its Page 3 content could be granted a reprisal – thanks to the impending release of firmware version 3.0.
Microsoft loves developers as long as they develop for Windows. Apple loves developers as long as they align with Apple’s view of the world. █
“Every line of code that is written to our standards is a small victory; every line of code that is written to any other standard, is a small defeat. Total victory [...] is the universal adoption of our standards by developers, as this is an important step towards total victory for Microsoft itself: “A computer on every desk and in every home, running Microsoft software.”
–Microsoft, internal document [PDF]
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Jose_X said,
May 6, 2009 at 6:11 am
NIN should start investing in a Linux distro if they haven’t. In a year or two, they could provide their fans one mean NINX. Why settle for an app when you can control the whole shebang?
Fans wouldn’t all download the distro (eg, LiveCD) and run it, but many would look at it and start talking about it. NINX could be one of the first music groups to tap into the future. In five years they would have a personal distribution channel to their fans plus have extra appeal and market share for being one of the first.
Call you own shots. Help your fans stand out.
Do you NINX?
Roy Schestowitz Reply:
May 6th, 2009 at 6:38 am
A single developer could do this easily by re-spinning a distro and then embedding stuff in the Web browser, the wallpapers, the login manager, bootloader, etc.
Those who prefer it can run it as a VM/virtual appliance.
Needs Sunlight said,
May 6, 2009 at 6:38 am
It’s easy enough to make a remix of an existing distro or, one step simpler, make a theme for any distro. Look at the different between FVWM and FVWM-Crystal for an idea of how much customization can be used for even a (nearly) bare bones WM.
http://www.fvwm-crystal.org/
http://www.fvwm.org/
Then imagine what can be done with a full-blown desktop environment like Xfce or KDE.
aeshna23 said,
May 6, 2009 at 9:13 am
All the kewl kids know that NIN is not a “they”, but a “he”, Trent Reznor. From what I understand of Reznor’s ideas about file sharing, he would strongly support FLOSS. Now, if they were just some way to get the distro idea before him, I bet we could sell him on it.
On another topic, we have to be aware that when the stakes are down, Microsoft will have no firmer ally than Apple. We should pay attention to it.
Yuhong Bao said,
May 6, 2009 at 11:17 am
BTW, don’t confuse Mac OS X with the iPhone, as you seemed to have done here. They are similar platforms, but they carry different restrictions.
Roy Schestowitz Reply:
May 6th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Yes, of course. But it’s corporate character I was referring to more broadly.
Yuhong Bao Reply:
May 6th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Well, you see, the fact is that Apple and Steve Jobs are well-known to be control freaks and that can hurt your freedom.
Eruaran said,
May 10, 2009 at 10:36 am
I’m sure NIN fans would love to simply be able to click the “Internet” tab in Amarok and see nin.com on the list… maybe with a widget that runs in Amarok… or on your desktop… Ok, thats just me. I’m a KDE and Amarok guy.
But then there’s Android… think of the possibilities…